Stress analysis of the human temporomandibular joint

Abstract

Stress analysis of the human temporomandibular joint (TMJ) consisting of mandibular disc, condyle and fossa–eminence complex during normal sagittal jaw closure was performed using non-linear finite element analysis (FEA). The geometry of the TMJ was obtained from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The tissue proportion was measured from a cadaver TMJ. Contact surfaces were defined to represent the interaction between the mandibular disc and the condyle, and between the mandibular disc and the fossa–eminence complex so that finite sliding was allowed between contact bodies. Stresses in the TMJ components (disc, condyle and fossa–eminence complex), and forces in capsular ligaments were obtained. The results demonstrated that, with the given condylar displacement, the stress in the condyle was dominantly compressive and in the fossa–eminence complex was dominantly tensile. The cancellous bone was shielded by the shell shaped cortical bone from the external loading. The results illustrate the stress distributions in the TMJ during a normal jaw closure.